This invention relates to the field of information services. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transaction processing of search transactions.
Search engines are now widely used for providing responses to Internet search requests. Typically, in order to obtain an Internet search using a particular search engine, a user first accesses a server that provides a search engine web page. The web page includes spaces for input of search terms and may include provision for selecting one or more field of search. The use of a field of search provides for narrowing the scope of the search. Exemplary fields can include, for example, finance, travel, news, weather, history, etc.
The user then inputs search criteria (search terms and, optionally, a field of search). The user then completes and sends the search query. Typically, the search query is automatically completed and is sent when the user selects a button on the search engine web page that says xe2x80x9csearchxe2x80x9d or when a user hits a return key.
The query, now in the form of a data packet that includes return address routing information and search criteria is then transmitted to the search engine. Once the query is received at the search engine, it is temporarily stored in a temporary storage register. The query is then processed by the search engine, resulting in a search of one or more databases using the received search criteria. The results of the database search are then transmitted back to the requesting user.
The results of the database search are typically transmitted back to the user in the form of a web page. Thus, upon completion of the database search, the search engine generates a web page that includes the results of the database search. Commonly, the results take the form of selectable links that are embedded in the web page. The new web page is then transmitted, via the Internet, back to the user. Search engines typically processes queries sequentially, on a first-in-first-out basis. Therefore the search engine individually addresses each incoming query. This can be quite inefficient, especially when numerous duplicative queries are received.
Recently, Internet usage has expanded significantly. This has put a significant demand on existing search engines. In order to meet this increasing demand, providers of search engines have been forced to increase the raw processing power of the search engine by upgrading the hardware of the search engine. Typically such upgrades involve the purchase of a new server that includes one or more fast processor and that includes a large cache for holding queries prior to processing. This can be quite expensive.
What is needed is a method and apparatus that will efficiently and cost effectively provide search services. In addition, what is needed is a method and apparatus that will allow for efficient and cost effective processing of search engine transactions. The method and apparatus of the present invention meets the above needs.
The method and apparatus of the present invention provides for efficiently and cost effectively providing search services. More particularly, the method and apparatus of the present invention provides for normalization of queries such that searches are more efficiently conducted.
An apparatus and method for providing search services is disclosed that includes an intermediate computing device that that is coupled to the Internet and that is coupled to a search engine. A software program operable on the intermediate computing device receives incoming queries.
The received queries are processed to obtain the submitted search criteria (the search terms and any included field of search terms) and the sender""s IP address (user address). The search criteria and the user addresses are stored for a short period of time in a storage buffer. The search criteria are then normalized. The normalized search criteria are then transmitted to the search engine.
The search engine receives and processes the normalized search criteria to generate a response. This response is then transmitted back to the intermediate computing device. The intermediate computing device generates web pages corresponding to each received query which are then transmitted back to the user computing device.
In one embodiment, a normalizing program is disclosed that operates on the search engine computing device. In this embodiment, the normalizing program is operable to receive queries, normalize the search criteria from the received queries, and transmit normalized search criteria to the search engine program. The normalizing program then receives a response from the search engine program, generates a response to each received search query, and transmits the response to the user from which the query originated.
In yet another embodiment, the search engine is operable to generate responses to each search query and to send the response to the user from which the query originated.
The apparatus and methods of the present invention provide for normalizing of search criteria. Thereby unnecessary searches are eliminated. This results in a reduced number of searches by the search engine, improving efficiency of the search engine and the efficiency of the entire search transaction process. The methods and apparatus of the present invention obtain improved efficiency by normalizing data, resulting in cost effective processing of search transactions as compared to prior art methods of increasing processing power and/or caching abilities of the search engine.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the various drawing figures.